Ignition-dynamo.



H. R. VAN DEVENTER.

IGNITION DYNAMO.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1915.

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IGNITION DYNAMO.

APPLICATlON FILED ocr. 2a. 1915.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY R. VAN DEVENTER, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO SPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

IGNITION-DYNAMIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed October 28, 1915. Serial No. 58,447.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY R. VAN DE- VENTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sumter, in the county of Sumter and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IgnitionDynamos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to ignition mechanism for. internal combustion engines and more particularly to such mechanism of the type in which movable igniter contacts are used in connection with an oscillating magneto.

In Patent No. 1,142,920, granted to me June 15, 1915, an ignition system is disclosed in which the current at the sparking points in the engine cylinder is periodically reversed to prevent the unequal wear and Y corrosion of the spark electrodes.

It is the object of this invention to provide means for the application of this principle to the above mentioned type of ignition mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification and accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view looking from one side, showing the device apart from an engine. Fig. 2 is a similar view looking from the opposite side. Fig. 3 is an outer end per- 7 spective view of the device with the generator removed and a dotted lines.

Referring more particularly to the structure, 1 is the igniter body having a mounting flange 2, a magneto supporting bracket or shelf 3 and extensions 4 and 5 for suppush rod indicated in porting the operating 'mechanism, all of said parts being preferably integral. The igniter body 1 carries the fixed and movable igniter contacts 6 and 7, respectively, said contacts and the igniter body being so arranged and proportioned'that the device may be mounted on an engine cylinder with the igniter contacts projecting into the combustion chamber, the device being secured by suitable bolts passing through the holes 8 in the mounting flange and threaded into the engine body. The fixed contact 6 has:

a suitable insulated circuit connection passing through the igniter body 1 to. the bind ing post 9 while the movable contact 7 is carried on a shaft 10 j ournaled in the igniter body.

An arm 11 is fixed on the shaft 10 and is connected to the flange 2 through a spring 12 which normally tends to keep the igniter contacts in engagement under tension,the spring 12 connecting with the arm through the pin 13 and with the flange through a pin 14. A trip lever or yoke 15 is journaled on a stub shaft 16 projecting from the flange 2 at one side of the igniter body and is held normally in a given position by means of the retractile springs 17 and 18. These springs connect with the trip lever or yoke through grooved wheels or rollers 19 and 20 journaled on the diametricallyopposed arms or pins 21 and 22, respectively, forming part of the trip lever or yoke, and with the extensions 4 and 5 through the rollers 23 and 24 journaled on pins 25 and 26 carried by said extensions, respectively. Motion is transmitted from the trip lever or'yoke to the igniter shaft 10.

by means of the laterally extending portion or lever 27 which is carried by the trip lever or yoke and engages the arm 11 through the adjustable anvil 28. The trip lever also carries a trip finger 29 extending therefrom out through the space between the magneto supporting bracket 3 and the extension 4, where it may be engaged by a suitable push rod as indicated in dotted lines at 30. A generator 31, which may be of any type giving a complete reversal of current per revolution of the rotor, is mounted on the bracket 3, with itsoperating shaft 36 substantially in alinement with the trip lever bearings. The generator is held in place by means of the bolts 32 and 33 passed through the holes 34 and 35, respectively, and threaded into the base of the generator. Connection is made between one terminal of the generator winding and the fixed contact through conductor 39'and binding posts 40 and 9, while the' circuit connection is completed between the other generator winding and the movable contact through the metallic frame of the'mechanism. The generator shaft 36 extends in between the pins 21 and 22 of the trip lever and carries a dog or arm 37 bifurcated to engage either of the pins 21 or 22. This dog is keyed to the magneto shaft and is held thereon by means of the nut 38, and while it is here shown in engagement with the lower pin of the trip lever or yoke, it is obvious that by either moving back the magneto or removing the nut 38 the magneto shaft may be turned so that the dog will engage the upper pin 21 of the trip lever or yoke. As the pins 21 and 22 are situated on opposite sides of the magneto shaft, the difference in angular position between the two adjustments of, thedog is 180, and as the shaft and dog are keyed, the shaftalso is reversed in position. This reverses the position of the rotor of the magneto and results in a reversal of the current generated when the rotor is oscillated in the given direction.

In operation, the trip lever or yoke 15 is periodically tripped by a suitable push rod related to the trip finger 29 as indicated in dotted lines at 30, Fig. 3, the end of the push rod engaging the trip finger at each upward stroke and rotating the trip lever or yoke "against the tension of the springs 17 and 18 until at a predetermined point the rod slips off the trip finger allowing the trip lever or yoke to recoil under tension of the springs 17 and 18. The push rod may be operated by the movement of the engine in any well known manner so as to operate the trip lever at the proper point in the engine cycle. Each time the trip lever or yoke is so tripped its movement is transmitted through the dog 37 to the magneto operating shaft and toward the end of its movement the lever 27 strikes the anvil on the arm of the igniter shaft causing a quick separation. of the igniter contacts at the instant when the magneto is generating its maximum current, thus producing a spark to ignite the charge in the combustion chamber of the engine. It will be seen that this operation will take place regardless of which pin 21 or 22 is engaged by the dog 37, and that by reversing the connection of the dog with the trip lever the direction in which the current passes between the igniter contacts is reversed.

Although I have herein shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such specific form but contemplate all such modifications that may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, any other means than that shown for relating the dog or arm :37 with the trip lever or yoke 15 may be employed, and any suitable means may be employed in connection with the dog whereby the position of same may be reversed without loosening-the magneto.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. Igniter mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising an igniter body adapted to be mounted on an engine with a portion projecting into the ignition chamber of the engine, fixed and movable contacts carried by the igniter body so as to be situated in the ignition chamber when the said igniter body is mounted, actuating means carried by the igniter body in operative relation with said movable contact, a generator and operating shaft therefor carried by said igniter body, and means for operatively associating said magneto operating shaft with the actuating means in either of two predetermined opposite angular positions.

Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising an igniter body carrying fixed and movable igniter contacts and adapted to be mounted on an engine with the said contacts projecting into the combustion chamber of the engine, a trip lever rotatably carried on the igniter body in operative relation with the said movable contact, a pair of arms carried by the trip lever projecting therefrom parallel to and on opposite sides of its axis of rotation, actuating means for said trip lever, a magneto and operating shaft therefor mounted on a bracket carried by the igniter body with its operating shaft extending between said pair of arms, and coupling means carried by said operating shaft and adapted to engage either of said arms, whereby the magneto operating shaft may be operatively connected with the trip lever in either of two opposite angular positions.

Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a pair of mechanically operated igniter contacts, a mechanically operated alternating current generator, a circuit connection including the generator winding and said igniter contacts, and a mechanical connection between said contacts and said generator having two predetermined adjustments one to cause said contacts to separate during the positive current wave and the other to cause the contacts to separate during the negative wave.

4. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a pair of igniter contacts and an igniter opera-ting shaft therefor, a generator and operating shaft therefor adapted to generate two current waves of opposite direction per revolution of the operating shaft, a circuit connection including the windings of said generator and said igniter contacts, and connecting means between said shafts having predetermined opposite angular adjustments.

Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a pair of meing an engaging member carried by the said shaft, and a plurality of engaging members carried by the .trip lever each complementary to said first mentioned engaging mem-- her.

6. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a pair of mechanically operated igniter contacts, a trip lever operatively relatedwith said contacts, an alternating current magneto for supplying current to said contacts, and means for coupling the said trip lever tothe rotor "of the magneto for operation thereof in either of two predetermined opposite angular positions of the magneto rotor.

7. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, an operating arm carried by said shaft, a support for said generator whereby it may be secured to an engine, a yoke movably carried upon said support and adapted to engage said arm, a reciprocating member driven by an internal combustion engine to engage said yoke, spring mechanism connected to the diametrically opposite arms of said yoke to hold same in a predetermined position, and a make-and-break igniter adapted to be actuated by the movement of said yoke.

8. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, an operating arm carried by said shaft and having a bifurcated extremity, a support for said generator whereby it may be secured to an engine, a yoke movably carried upon said support and having an end adapted to be engaged by the bifurcated portion of said arm, means driven by an internal combustion engine to engage said yoke, spring mechanism connected to the diametrically opposite arms of said yoke to hold same in a predetermined position, and a make-andbreak igniter adapted to be actuated by the movement of said yoke.

9. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, an arm fixed to said shaft, said arm having a bifurcated portion, operating mechanism for the magneto, said mechanism comprising a yoke having an extended portion engaged by said bifurcated arm, and engine driven means for operating said mechanism.

10. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising an igniter body having a flange, a make-and-break igniter carried in said body and adapted to project Within an engine cylinder, a shelf extending arms extending over and in a plane parallel from said flange, a magneto having an operating shaft carried upon said shelf, actuating mechanism for said igniter and magneto mounted upon the flange of said igniter body, a plurality of springs connected to said mechanism for actuating the same, an arm extending from said igniter flange and adapted to support the end of one of said springs, and a downwardly extending arm beneath said laterally extending shelf and adapted to support the end of one of said springs, substantially as described.

11. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, a support for said generator whereby it may be secured to an engine, actuating means for the generator carried by said support, said means including a yoke having diametrically opposite with said magneto shaft, and springs connecting said arms with said supporting bracket, substantially as described.

12. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, a support for said generator whereby it may be secured to an engine, actuating mechanism for the generator carried upon said support, and including a yokehaving diametrically opposite arms adapted to extend over and include between them a portion of said magneto shaft, a dog on said shaft adapted to removably engage one of said arms, and springs connecting both of said arms with said support.

13..Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, an operating arm carried on said shaft, a support for said generator whereby it may be secured to an engine, mechanism for actuating said generator mounted upon said support and adapted to engage said arm, a laterally extending shelf from said support, a doWnwardly extending extension on said shelf,

a spring between said extension and said yoke, substantially as described.

14. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, an operating arm carried on said shaft. a support for said generator whereby it may be secured to an engine, mechanism for actuating said generator, said mechanism including a yoke member adapted to engage said arm and having an offset portion, and means actuated by an engine for engaging said offset portion of said yoke whereby the same is actuated, substantially as described.

15. Ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines comprising a magneto generator having a shaft, an operating arm carried by said shaft, a support for said generator whereby t may be secured to an engine, mechanism for actuating said generator, said mechanism including a yoke having a laterally extending portion adapted to engage said arm and actuate said generator and a second laterally extending portion forming a trip lever, actuating means engaging said trip lever and moving said yoke, and spring means connected to the opposite arms of the yoke for returning the same When released by said actuating means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY R. VAN DEVENTER.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtomD. G. 

